Roller bearing



V A HNN ROLLER BEARING.

FILED JUNE 2a, 191?.

Jan. 30, 1923.

WITNESS Patented Jan. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VALEBE A. FYNN, OF S'I'. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY HESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO WAGNER ELECTRIC CORPORATION, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Application filed June 28,

To all whom if may concern:

lie it known that l. \"ALiLmL A. FYNN, a subject of the King of England, residing at the city of-St. Louis, State of Missouri,

United States of imerica. have invented a certain new and useful Roller Bearing, of which the follmving is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to roller bearings, and its object is to provide a hearing capahle of taking care'of axial loads as well as of radial loads while avoiding all but true rolling motions between the various copperating surfaces.

In carrying out my invention I make each roller in the shape of a douhledieaded rivet having a cylindrical center portion and enlarged ends having spherical outer surfaces, and provide each race with three working surfacesone cylindrical surface to co-opcrate with the middle part of the roller and two conical surfaces to co-operate with the spherical ends of the roller, taking care to arrange for the conical working surfaces of the races to contact with the spherical ends of the roller at a point in. allncmcnt with the surface of the cylindrical portion of the roller.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure l is a cross section of the improved hearing; F1g. 2, an end view thereof: Fig. 3, a cross section of the cage; Fig. 4, an end view of the bearing showing the method of assembling; Fig. 5. an enlarged view of one of the improved rollers, and Fig. (5 is a view, partly in section of a. modified form of roller.

Each roller 32 has a cylindrical body 4 and heads 2. 3 having spherical outcr surfaces. The cross section of the inner as well as of the outer race is, roughly, E--shaped. The central portion 5 of the inner race and the central portion 6 of the outer race, each form a working surface concentric with the hearing axis :29 and adapted to co-operate with the cylindrical portion 4 of the roller. The inner race has in addition to the surface 5, two working surfaces 9, 10, inclined with respect to 5 and separated therefrom by the grooves 33, and adapted to contact 1917. Serial No. 177,458.

with the spherical roller heads 2. 3 at points in alincment with the surface of the cylindrical portion 4 of the roller. The outer race has two similar working or bearing surfaces 7. 8. separated from the cylindrical bearing surface (i by grooves 34 and adapted to contact with the spherical ends of the rollers 32 at points in alinernent with the surface of the cylindrical portion 4 of the roller. In Figs. 1, 2 and 4, each roller is provided with the pins 18, located axi ally and projecting beyond its spherical heads. Located at each end of the rollers and between the lips of the inner and outer races are spacing rings 1T, 20, provided with holes 31 into which the pins 18 are loosi iv fitted. The two rings 17, 20 are kept at a fixed distance from each other by sp icing rods 21, 22, 23, 24', and this whole :lrucare thus forms a cage which S(I\fi to properly space the rollers 32.

In order to assemble the bearing shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the inner race 15 may he placed on a rod 35 and the outer race 1('\ may be hung over it. shoun in Fig. 4. leaving a crescent-like space between the two races. hie roller after another is then introduced bctwccn the races. for instance at the point indicated by the dotted circle it); dropped into contact with the bearing surface (3 of the outer race, and pushed to the left or right to make room for the next roller, and so on.

In order to improve the lubrication of the cyl ndrical surfaces and to facilitate the elimination of grit and the'like, which may find its way into the bearing. a spiral groove 25 may be cut into the cylindrical body 4-. of each roller. as shown in Fig. '6. Instead of providing each roller with pins 18, it may be made hollow. \Vhen such a hollow roller is provided with an oiling groove 25, then little holes 27 can be drilled through the body of the roller, so as to place the groove and the inner hole 26 of the roller into communication. thus again improving lubrication. In case hollow rollers are used, the holes 31 in the sides 17, 20 of the cage can be omitted and the spacing rods 21. 22, 23. 24 also used to guide the rollers by passing them through the central openings 26 thereof.

I prefer to so design each roller that the 5 by the dotted circle 30. In such case the point of contact between the head 3 and the working surface 8. and the point of contact between the head and the working sur face 10, will be at either end of a diameter of the sphere 30, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Under these conditions that component of the axial load which is perpendicular to the tan cut at the point of contact between a spherical head and a conical race is transmitted through the center of the roller (the center of the sphere 30 of which it is apart) and does not produce any ranting of the roller. Similarly the line connectingthe point of contact between the head 3 and the bearing surface 9, with the point of con tact between the head 2 and the bearing surface 7, and assing through the center of the roller, will be perpendicular to the tangents at the points of contact.

The rollers shown can only rotate about their axes 28 and revolve around the axis 29 of the bearing. Vhatever the speed at which these rollers rotate, the ditl'crence in speed between the cylindrical portion 4 of each roller and the bearing surl'ace (i will be exactly the same as the ditierence in speed between the head 3 and the bearing surface 8, or the head 2 and the bearing surface 7. Similarly the difi'erence in speed between the head 3 and the working surface 9. and the head 2 and the working surface 10 will always be exactly the same as the diil'erence in speed bet ween the cylindrical body 4 and the bearing surface 5. Any radial load which this iniprowd brar'iinginay have to carry will he tllbt'ti care ol' by the bearing surfa es 5, ti and the cylindrical part i of those rollers which are carnving the load. Any axial load dire ted from right to left will be taken care o'i' along the axis 13, 14 between the head 3 and the bearing surface H at one end and between the head 2 and the bearing surface It! :it the other end. An axial load directed from left to right will be taken care of along the axis ll, 12- bctwcen ,the bearing; surface 7 and the head 2 at one end and the bearing suri'uce 9 and the head 3 at the other.

In practice it will be permissible to allov; a slight end play between the rollers and each of the races. Furthermore, it \viil not be necessary to make the inclined heariing surfaces 7, S. 9, l exactly conical. l lach of these surfaces may be given a slight cur vature. thus introducing a little friction as in ball bearings, but increasing somewhat the axial load capacity of the bearing. It is known from ball bearing practice that such an expedient. if not pushed too far, does more good than harm.

While I prefer to so dimension each roller that its two heads form part of a single %Jhere. yet this is not a necessary condition.

he cylindrical part of the roller sho n in Fig. 5, for instance. may be either lengthened or shortened, but it is necessary that the center of the sphere of which a head forms a part be located on the axis 2h ol' the rolier.

If the diameter of the cylindrical part -1- of the roller is 2), and the angle between that working surface (7. 8. 9 or 10) which takes the axial thrust and the axis of the roller 28, is a, and the radius of the sphere of which the roller-head thrustdahing surface (201' 3) must be a part is .r, then the proper relation between these factors is given by the expression sin (90-o) This relation holds good in case the two heads of the roller form part of ditlerent spheres or part of one and the same sphere, and ensures an actual rolling between the roller and those racc surfaces which take radial. well as between iv roller and those rare surfaces which take axial loads. This relation provides for inclined axial load bearing surfaces tangential to the spherical ends of the roller at the theoreti cally correct point of contact situated at the distance r from the roller axis 28.

In case the bearing is to take axial loads in one direction only the construction may he chcapened by omitting a part of each of the races Thus if the bearing shown in Fig. 1 is to take radial loads. and axial loads directed from right to left but no axial toads in an iniposite direction, then the eonical surfaces 7 and l) and all the left end of the outer and the right end of the inner race can be omitted.

Ha ing fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the l'nited States is:

l. A roller bearing connirising inner and outer race members and a plurality of rollers between said members. each roller having a cylindnical central portion and having each of its ends provided with a spherical surface, each race being provided with thrust bearing surfaces positioned to contact with each end of each 1' iller and at points in line with the periphery of the central portion of said roller.

2. A roller bearing comprising a plurality of rollers each having a cylindrical central bearing portion and having the surfaces of its ends so shaped that each forms part of a spherical surface whose center lies in the axis of the roller, and inner and outer race members each provided with hearing surfaces to co-operate with both end portions and with the central portion of each roller.

3. A roller hearnig comprising a pluralit of rollers each having a cylindrical central bearing portion and having the surfaces of its ends so shaped'that both form parts of the surface of a single sphere. and inner and outer race members each provided with surfaces to co-operate with both end portions and the central portion of each roller, the surfaces cooperating with the ends of- 5 the rollers being, positioned to COIltllCflffllEl'B- loads comprising a plurality of rollers with at points inJIine with the Beripheries of the central portions of the re ers.

4. A'roller bearing for axial afld radial a. roller 90 be in a single line.

5. A roller bearing comprising plural ity of rollers each having a central cylindrical bearing portion and enlargements at 20 each end to form thrust bearing Surfaces".

outer and inner race members each having bearing surfaces to co-operate .wlth the central surface of. each roller, the outer race member also haying a thrust bearing 25' surface to contact with one end fiteach roller and the inner race member a thrnst bearingsurfaqe to contact with the opposite end of each roller, the respective bearing surfaces of the races being-positioned to 30 cansgrall polnts 0% contact of a race member wi'tlgirrbller to be m a single-line.

I ftestimjony whereof. I have hereunto hand and ufiixenl my seal.

VALERE A. Ems. [11.8.] 

